Thursday, December 18, 2014

Confessions of a Real-Life Blogger: My Social Media Addiction

Before votes closed for the UK Blog Awards (which I've been shortlisted for - yay!), I was invited to submit a guest post to the UK Blog Awards website, so I wrote about something that's been troubling me for a while: my addiction to social media. As a blogger, freelance writer, and social media manager for two different companies (in addition to working at a full-time job in book publishing), I'm constantly on my phone. Constantly.

I've reproduced the post here, word for word, and would love to know what you think. What's been your experience with social media? Do you use it regularly? Or are you on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest just a little too much?

Here's what I had to say:

_____________________

When I woke up this morning, the realisation that I manage 10
different social media networks across 3 different accounts (including
my own), hit me hard: no sooner had I poked contact lenses into my
still-bleary eyes than I began to reply to retweets, mentions, and new
followers.

At a recent foodie meet-up for bloggers, we sat patiently as dish
after dish appeared from the restaurant’s kitchen and were placed before
us on the elegantly laid table. No one dared touch the food before every DSLR and phone had been whipped out for the perfect photo – and the perfect corresponding hashtag.

Managing it all (along with a full time job) has become exhausting;
and it isn’t just my eyesight or sleep that’s been disturbed. I’m
worried that it’s affecting my relationships as well.

“Keep talking,” I recently said to my husband, whilst selecting a
VSCOcam filter for Instagram. “I’m listening.” But was I really? How
much attention can you give when your eyes aren’t on the person you love
and you’re only half listening?

I’ve always prided myself on being a multi-tasker, but the way social
media has taken over my life lately, I feel as though I’ve gone a bit
too far. I’d love to have some “off-time” from social media, when my
phone’s not within reaching distance, or when I just turn it off
altogether, but my fingers twitch when it’s not at my side.

At lunch with friends, unable to be completely wrenched away from my
precious phone, I’ve kept it on the table, but turned it facedown, to
show the person sitting opposite me that I’m giving them my full and
undivided attention – almost.

Social media garners instantaneous reactions, and because of this,
it’s addictive. It has also been a terrific way for me to share my blog;
I’ve received such terrific feedback and comments from readers all over
the world on posts I’ve written that have affected them in some way,
which makes tweeting and posting all the more worthwhile.

‘I wonder if anyone has favorited or retweeted my tweet,’ I’ll
wonder, as I’m waiting for the bus. I then proceed to check Twitter for
the entire bus ride. I can’t wait to respond to mentions, as I feel
those people – these strangers that I’ve never met – can’t wait.

But in the last week or so, I’ve realised something truly important: they can wait. My best friends, my husband, and my family? They can’t wait. And they deserve so much more from me.

So I’ll keep tweeting and posting and pinning – but when it’s time to
turn off my phone, I’ll make sure I do so. No twitchy fingers.

3 comments

I like this post. I know people who check their social media accounts while someone real is standing right in front of them, and they only take in about a quarter of what's being said. Then they go "Huh?" and the person who was speaking sighs and their annoyance meter goes up +1. I've definitely felt that itch myself...the "I wonder if anyone has liked what I posted yet" and the urge to check. It's so easy to become addicted to the instant gratification! It's also exciting to connect with people across the world. But like you said, it's important to make time for the ones who are physically there in your life giving you love.

So well said and spot on, Gianni! I think what's hardest for John is that, when we're on vacation or eating out (not all the time, but most of the time), I tend to take photos and then feel the need to tweet or Instagram them nearly instantaneously. For me, this takes away the enjoyment of being on vacation as well, so I really shouldn't do it as much. But another aspect is that, if I've been invited to review an event, a restaurant, or a hotel, I really do need to tweet, Instagram, etc. in real-time, as it's part of my "job", almost. I just need to make sure that that doesn't cross over into my personal life. It's all about balance, which I don't really feel like I have right now (and which I'm seeking to change)!

This is the stage I am at right now. At our house I have had to put a social media ban at the weekend to just one hour a day. I have to admit I sometimes do a sneaky check like a true addict, but the limit is working for me. xx